Under new CEO Achim Bosch, Deutsche Rück signals a disciplined approach focused on sustainable profits, geographic diversification, and technological innovation to navigate climate and geopolitical uncertainties ahead of the 2026 renewal season.

Achim Bosch, who has recently stepped into the role of CEO at Deutsche Rück, laid out the company's cautious and selective strategy ahead of the upcoming January 2026 renewal period. He emphasized that the firm is prioritizing sustainable profits over sheer growth—pretty much focusing on steady, disciplined performance rather than chasing volume just for the sake of it. Speaking during the RVS 2025 conference held in Monte Carlo, Bosch pointed out that Deutsche Rück doesn’t see a broad market slowdown on the horizon, despite ongoing geopolitical strains and climate change worries such as worsening droughts and wildfires. The company is aiming to keep margin levels healthy by sticking to disciplined underwriting practices, while at the same time supporting their clients' financial stability effectively. They’re trying to strike a balance—creating a genuine “win-win” situation in terms of reinsurance conditions and prices.

Bosch described Deutsche Rück’s overall approach as quite deliberately cautious, with a focus on participating only in markets and segments that show transparency, solid margins, and promising prospects for sustainable, long-term partnerships. The company is also expanding its footprint in regions like Central and Eastern Europe, parts of the Middle East, North Africa, as well as Asia and Latin America. This broader geographic diversification aligns with their overall strategy to spread out risk—while also maintaining core business relationships with German public insurers. Essentially, this move to diversify geographically is a response to the recent market strengthening, which Bosch sees as a necessary correction following more than ten years of soft market conditions in certain areas.

To reinforce the outlook, Deutsche Rück reported a notable 16.8% increase in gross written premiums in 2023. This growth was driven by expanding across various lines of business and regions. Bosch, who took over as CEO in July 2025 after previously serving as the Chief Underwriting Officer, also stressed how crucial loss prevention programs are in addressing climate-related risks. These initiatives are, in his view, vital for closing the significant insurance protection gap that exists in both emerging markets and more mature ones. It’s clear that the insurer is taking a proactive stance—adapting to the challenges posed by climate change and striving to be part of the solution.

Technology, of course, is another key pillar in Deutsche Rück’s strategic plan. Bosch explained that the firm is heavily investing in automation and AI to improve underwriting and claims processes. Although they’ve made good progress, customer data still arrives in many different formats, with varying levels of quality—making manual work unavoidable at times. The company is exploring AI-supported document analysis tools to streamline how data gets transformed into useful insights for portfolios, accounting, and claims—helping to increase efficiency without sacrificing data quality. Interestingly enough, this should also allow employees to devote more time to client service and crafting bespoke reinsurance solutions, which supports their broader strategic goals.

When it comes to claims management, Deutsche Rück employs AI to automate extracting and sorting data from unstructured claims documents. Bosch expressed optimism about future AI applications that could further enhance claims monitoring—indicating the company’s willingness to embed cutting-edge tech across all operations. As part of this, they’ve recently upgraded their natural hazard risk models—especially important given the rising climate-related damages. Working closely with the German Insurance Association and scientific bodies like the German Research Centre for Geosciences and Bauhaus University Weimar, they’ve refined models for flood and earthquake risks, incorporating recent claims data from major recent events.

This focus on sophisticated, regionally tailored risk modelling really underscores the industry’s need to stay ahead of the evolving impacts of climate change. Experts say that such innovations—combined with geographical diversification—are becoming essential for reinsurance players who want to stay resilient amid volatile natural catastrophe exposures. Deutsche Rück’s approach aligns with the broader industry trend of using data-driven strategies and disciplined underwriting to bolster profitability and capital strength, especially during a time characterized by significant environmental and geopolitical uncertainties.

The appointment of Bosch as CEO, succeeding Frank Schaar who retired in mid-2025, signals a continuity in leadership dedicated to these core principles. His previous experience managing the company’s non-life international division, along with his extensive background at General Reinsurance AG, highlights his expertise in risk management and navigating complex markets. Honestly, it’s pretty reassuring to see a leader who clearly understands the importance of disciplined underwriting and strategic risk diversification.

In summary, Deutsche Rück is positioning itself carefully to face the 2026 renewal season. The focus is on balancing profitability, growth that’s mindful of risk, and technological upgrades—all while proactively tackling climate and geopolitical challenges. It’s a pretty prudent, forward-looking stance that probably resonates with industry professionals who see long-term success as rooted in a mix of smart risk management and embracing innovation. Overall, Bosch’s leadership appears well aligned with what the sector needs to weather the uncertainties ahead.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Verification / Sources

  • https://www.reinsurancene.ws/deutsche-ruck-maintains-cautious-strategy-does-not-see-general-market-softening-ceo/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
  • https://www.intelligentinsurer.com/focus-on-loss-prevention-is-key-to-cope-with-climate-risks - Deutsche Rück Group reported a 16.8% increase in gross written premiums during 2023, with significant growth across all lines. Chief Underwriting Officer Achim Bosch highlighted the company's focus on geographic diversification, including expansion into the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Bosch emphasized the importance of loss prevention programmes to address climate-related risks, noting the significant insurance protection gap in both developing and mature markets. He also discussed the role of AI in risk modelling and the need for models that reflect current climate developments.
  • https://www.intelligentinsurer.com/reinsuring-a-climate-in-crisis-deutsche-rucks-approach-for-resilience - Deutsche Rück's Executive Board member Caren Büning discussed the growing reinsurance demand due to climate change, including the rise in secondary perils like hail, floods, and wildfires. She emphasized the need for risk models that reflect current climate developments and the importance of data in understanding new patterns. Büning highlighted Deutsche Rück's in-house development of natural hazard models tailored to regional conditions, involving a team of scientists with decades of experience. She also noted the company's strategic diversification across various regions and lines of business.
  • https://www.reinsurancene.ws/achim-bosch-begins-tenure-as-ceo-of-deutsche-ruck/ - Achim Bosch officially became CEO of Deutsche Rückversicherung AG on July 1, 2025, succeeding Frank Schaar, who is retiring. Bosch joined Deutsche Rück in January 2019 as Chief Underwriting Officer, managing the non-life market segment. Prior to this, he served at General Reinsurance AG, where he was appointed to the Executive Board in 2008. Bosch will also take over as Chairman of the Executive Management of DR Swiss in Zurich, Deutsche Rück’s subsidiary, effective July 1, 2025.
  • https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/reinsurance/news/breaking-news/deutsche-ruck-to-welcome-achim-bosch-as-new-ceo-514900.aspx - The supervisory board of Deutsche Rückversicherung AG announced the appointment of Achim Bosch as chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2025. Bosch will succeed Frank Schaar, who is set to retire at the end of June 2025. Bosch joined Deutsche Rück in January 2019 as chief underwriting officer and is currently responsible for the company’s non-life international division. Before joining Deutsche Rück, Bosch spent more than two decades at General Reinsurance AG, where he held several leadership positions.
  • https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/reducing-climate-related-property-risk-with-ai - McKinsey discusses the role of AI in navigating the transition from admitted markets to excess and surplus (E&S) markets in the insurance industry. Attila Toth emphasizes that AI and other technologies can increase reinsurance capacity, thereby enhancing primary insurance capacity over time. He also notes that climate change is not inexpensive, and multiple stakeholders, including homeowners, business owners, and local governments, will need to share the increasing costs associated with it.
  • https://www.ainvest.com/news/munich-resilience-natural-catastrophe-volatility-strategic-underwriting-discipline-portfolio-quality-drivers-long-term-reinsurance-sector-outperformance-2508/ - Munich Re leverages strategic underwriting discipline and diversified portfolios to outperform in climate-volatile reinsurance markets. Its '4+2 Smart Underwriting' model and AI tools like MIRA enhance risk accuracy while reducing adverse selection in life insurance. Geographic diversification and the GSI division mitigate regional catastrophe risks, avoiding $80B+ global insured losses in 2025. A 285% Solvency II ratio and 35% coal asset reduction since 2019 reinforce capital strength and ESG alignment for long-term resilience.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We've since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative includes recent developments, such as Achim Bosch's appointment as CEO effective July 1, 2025, and Deutsche Rück's 16.8% increase in gross written premiums in 2023. These events are reported in sources dated May 21, 2025, and May 22, 2024, respectively. The report appears to be based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the inclusion of updated data alongside older material may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. (reinsurancene.ws) (sinchew.com.my)

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: The report includes direct quotes attributed to Achim Bosch. A search for the earliest known usage of these quotes indicates that they are original to this report, with no identical matches found in earlier material. This suggests that the quotes are potentially original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative originates from a press release, which is typically considered a reliable source. However, the reliance on a single source without corroboration from other reputable outlets introduces some uncertainty. The press release is distributed by Media OutReach Newswire, which is a legitimate news distribution service.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The claims made in the report, including Achim Bosch's appointment as CEO and the 16.8% increase in gross written premiums, are plausible and align with information from other reputable sources. The language and tone are consistent with corporate communications, and there are no inconsistencies or suspicious elements in the report.

Overall assessment

Veredict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The report presents recent developments regarding Deutsche Rück's strategic direction and financial performance. The inclusion of updated data alongside older material may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. The quotes attributed to Achim Bosch appear to be original, and the source is a legitimate news distribution service. The claims made are plausible and consistent with information from other reputable sources. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.